Electronic Mail Receiving Method, and Device, Program and Storage Medium Thereof

1. An electronic mail receiving method for use in a communications terminal having an electronic mail reception function, comprising making to a user a notification that protection must be released if a state where a new electronic mail cannot be captured unless the protection of an existing electronic mail is released is determined, when the new electronic mail is received, or an inquiry is made to a mail server; obtaining a minimum number of existing electronic mails for which protection is to be released so as to capture a new electronic mail; displaying the obtained minimum number and a message for making a user select existing electronic mails for which protection is to be released; and releasing the protection of selected electronic mails in a lump, when a plurality of electronic mails are selected by the user.

2. The electronic mail receiving method according to claim 1 , further comprising displaying a message requesting the user release the protection by transferring display contents to a protection release operation screen after making the notification to the user.

3. The electronic mail receiving method according to claim 1 , further comprising capturing a new electronic mail by making a deletion sequentially from an existing electronic mail having an older date among the existing electronic mails for which the protection has been released.

4. The electronic mail receiving method according to claim 1 , wherein the state where a new electronic mail cannot be captured unless the protection of an existing electronic mail is released is a state where a received electronic mail box is full and all of existing electronic mails are set to be protected.

5. A communications terminal, comprising: a display unit; a determining unit determining a state where a new electronic mail cannot be captured unless protection of an existing electronic mail is released, when the new electronic mail is received, or an inquiry is made to a mail server; and a guidance unit displaying a message that the protection must be released on the display unit, if said determining unit determines the state where the new electronic mail cannot be captured unless the protection of an existing electronic mail is released, and wherein said guidance unit obtains a minimum number of existing electronic mails for which protection is to be released so as to capture a new electronic mail and notifies the user of the obtained number, and displays a message requesting the user release the protection together for a plurality of existing electronic mails if the protection of the plurality of electronic mails is released.

6. A computer-readable storage medium on which is recorded a program to perform an electronic mail receiving method in a communications terminal having an electronic mail reception function, the method comprising making to a user a notification that protection must be released if a state where a new electronic mail cannot be captured unless the protection of an existing electronic mail is released is determined, when the new electronic mail is received, or an inquiry is made to a mail server; obtaining a minimum number of existing electronic mails for which protection is to be released so as to capture a new electronic mail, displaying the obtained minimum number and a message for making a user select existing electronic mails for which protection is to be released, and releasing the protection of selected electronic mails in a lump, when a plurality of electronic mails are selected by the user.

7. The storage medium according to claim 6 , the process further comprising displaying a message requesting the user release the protection by transferring display contents to a protection release operation screen after making the notification to the user.